Have you heard that there's a new version of Google Maps out for the iPhone?
Just in case you haven't, Google is running ads on Twitter.
We've seen a Promoted Tweet on Twitter's mobile app and a Promoted Trend on Twitter's desktop website.
It's obviously important for Google to make sure iPhone users hear about the availability of Google Maps, since Apple replaced its Google-powered maps with its own mapping service when it rolled out the latest version of its software for iPhones and iPads in September. (Apple Maps was such a dud that two executives responsible for it subsequently left Apple.)
We just think it's interesting that Google felt it needed to turn to Twitter, arguably a rival to its Google+ social network, to promote Google Maps. Google doesn't currently run ads on Google+, arguing that it's more useful to gather data about users and show them ads at other times, like when they search.
Twitter has recently tweaked its ad products to make them especially effective for promoting app downloads—for example, allowing advertisers to show ads for iPhone apps only to iPhone users.
Of course, there's a very good reason why Google might want to buy ads on Twitter: To learn firsthand how its ads perform.
Twitter declined to comment, referring us to Google. A Google spokesperson didn't respond to our inquiry.
(Click to see the ads at full size.)
Please follow SAI on Twitter and Facebook.
Join the conversation about this story »
